CHILDREN 

WELL AND HAPPY 



MAY BLISS DICKINSON, R.N. 

> J 61 
.16 

1918 





Class 

Book 

Copyright^ . 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



v 




MOTHERHOOD 



/^X//, Ms/Afau £//ss(p,cl 

CHILDREN 
WELL AND HAPPY 



A MANUAL FOR 
THE GIRLS' HEALTH LEAGUE 



AJS<rft 



BY 

MAY BLISS DICKINSON, R.N. 

n 



PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE 

MASSACHUSETTS STATE FEDERATION 

OF WOMEN'S CLUBS 



LeROY PHILLIPS 
BOSTON 






Copyright, 1918 
By MAY BLISS DICKINSON 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



JUN 25 1918 

©CI.A499466 



TO 

MY MOTHER 

MALAH BLISS DICKINSON 

"Earth's noblest thing, a woman perfected' 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Personal Hygiene i 

II. Home Sanitation 16 

III. The Newborn Baby 29 

IV. Breast Feeding 38 

V. Bottle Feeding 46 

VI. Care of the Baby's Food .... 55 

VII. Care of the Baby's Body .... 63 

VIII. The Baby's Clothing 71 

IX. Habits and Training 78 

X. The Baby's Teeth 88 

XI. Emergencies 93 

Appendix A. Organization of the Girls' 

Health League Classes 103 

Appendix B. Recipes no 

Index 113 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Motherhood Frontispiece 

Correct Posture when Standing ..... 2 

Wrong Way to carry Schoolbooks 5 

Right Way to carry Schoolbooks 5 

Section of the Skin 7 

The Correct Kind of Toothbrush 9 

Ideal Ventilation 20 

The Baby's Bed 34 

Model Birth Certificate 36 

Weighing the Baby 44 

Modification of the Milk 49 

Pasteurizing the Baby's Milk 53 

Homemade Refrigerator 56 

Filling the Baby's Bottles 57 

Testing the Temperature of the Milk .... 60 

Correct Way to Hold the Baby while Feeding . 61 

Bathing the Baby 64 

Baby Clothes 72 

Nose and Throat Passages — Normal and 

abnormal ^ 80 

Baby Exercising 86 

Child brushing his Teeth 90 

Bath Thermometer 95 

Protecting the Baby from his Mother's Cold . 99 
viii 



INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of this book is to give 
schoolgirls definite help in learning how 
to keep themselves and other children 
well and happy. 

The problem is a double one : How 
can we best safeguard the health of our 
schoolgirls? and What can we do through 
them to save the babies ? To the first 
question the answer is that we can teach 
the girls the sacredness of life by in- 
structing them in personal hygiene and 
in the care of the home. The object of 
such instruction is to give each girl a 
" sound mind in a sound body " and to 
fit her for a woman's work in the world. 
The solution of the second part of the 
problem is to be found in the careful 
training of the schoolgirl in the general 
principles of hygiene as applied to babies. 



x Children Well and Happy 

Because the Health League classes 
reach the girls during their formative 
years, they offer a splendid opportunity 
to establish those habits of life that make 
for health and consequent happiness and 
usefulness. Now as never before we are 
coming to realize that the strength of a 
nation depends primarily on the spiritual 
and physical health of its citizens and 
also on the training of its children to 
assume in later years their duties as 
fathers and mothers. 

The author wishes to express her ap- 
preciation and gratitude to the many per- 
sons who have manifested interest in the 
work of the Girls' Health League, which 
was launched under the auspices of the 
Massachusetts State Federation of Wom- 
en's Clubs. She wishes also especially 
to thank the following: Mrs. Herbert J. 
Gurney, President of the Massachusetts 
State Federation of Women's Clubs, for 



hitro duct ion xi 

her encouragement ; Dr. Payson Smith, 
Commissioner of Education of Massa- 
chusetts, for his indorsement; John B. 
Hawes, 2d, M.D., for his criticism and 
advice; Margaret V. Grogan, M.D., for 
her medical assistance ; Miss Florence 
Hilton, Director of Physical Education, 
Framingham public schools, for illustra- 
tions of posture ; G. W. Cokell of Fram- 
ingham for photographic work of unusual 
value ; the Tri-Ad Studio artists for their 
excellent designs. 

MAY BLISS DICKINSON, R.N. 



FOREWORD 

May this little book go forth bearing 
words of healing, health, and joy to you 
who faithfully study them, and, also, to 
those little ones whom the kind Father 
may place in your arms in the wonderful 
years to come. 

MRS. SAMUEL W. McCALL 



CHILDREN 
WELL AND HAPPY 

CHAPTER I 

PERSONAL HYGIENE 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Demon- 
strate the correct posture when standing, walking, 
and sitting. 2. Show the right and wrong kinds 
of shoes. 3. Demonstrate the correct way of carry- 
ing schoolbooks. 4. Show samples of soap — 
pure castile, Ivory, and a cheap scented variety 
— and explain the right and wrong uses of soap. 

Personal hygiene may be defined as 
the wise and systematic care of the body. 
The reasons why every girl should take 
care of her body are : 

First, good health means power to do 
one's work in life well. 

Second, health is an aid to happiness 
and personal attractiveness. 



Children Well and Happy 




CORRECT POSTURE WHEN , . 

STANDING ClUtieS. 



Good health helps 
to give a person an 
active, cheerful mind, 
and this makes one 
alert, capable, and 
able to work to the 
best advantage. Good 
health gives poise 
and grace to the body 
and helps to create 
efficiency. 

The following are 
good rules : 

i. Form health- 
giving habits. 

2. Let keeping well 
and happy be one of 
your most important 



The person who 
honestly wishes to be useful must begin 
at once to make good health a certainty. 



Personal Hygiene 3 

Rules for Correct Posture 

Standing. We should stand correctly in 
order that the organs of the body — heart, 
lungs, stomach, liver, and kidneys — may 
have room and be in position to do their 
work well. We should stand erect, chin 
in, chest high, abdomen flat, and with the 
weight of the body resting on the balls 
of the feet. 

Walking. In walking the weight of the 
body should be thrown well forward. 

It is correct to let the heel touch the 
ground first, but the weight should very 
quickly be transferred to the ball of the 
foot. The correct position of the feet is 
with the toes pointed straight forward. 
This straight-foot position is characteristic 
of our best athletes, our native Indians, and 
others who are noted for great endurance 
in running and walking. Two things are 
essential : stockings should be a little 



4 Children Well and Happy 

longer than the feet, and shoes should 
be roomy at the toes and have heels riot 
more than one inch high. 

Sitting. As our schoolgirls sit many 
hours each day, it is vital to their health 
that they sit correctly. When sitting, one 
should push back in the chair as far as 
possible. In the resting position the 
entire trunk should lean backwards 
against the back of the chair; the hips 
should not be allowed to slide forward 
in the seat. In the active position the 
trunk is held erect or inclined forward. 
When leaning forward in a sitting posi- 
tion, the trunk must be held erect or 
inclined forward, and the bending should 
be from the hips, not from the waistline. 
Girls should not sit on one foot nor with 
the knees crossed,, as these positions inter- 
fere with the circulation. When a person 
is sitting, the feet may be crossed if a 
change of position is desired. 



Personal Hygiene 




WRONG WAY TO CARRY 
SCHOOLBOOKS 



RIGHT WAY TO CARRY 
SCHOOLBOOKS 



Carrying of schoolbooks. In going to 
and from school, books should be carried 
on the right arm one clay, on the left arm 
the next day, or they may be divided and 
carried partly on each arm. Of course 



6 Children Well and Happy 

the best plan is not to carry many books 
home. All pupils should prepare as many 
lessons during the study periods of each 
school day as classes will permit. 

Position when reading. Children should 
be taught at an early age not to let the 
light, either natural or artificial, shine in 
their eyes. The strongest light should 
come from the left. Light from above is 
the best. One should not read too long 
at any one time without looking up at 
some distant object in order to rest the 
muscles of the eyes. 

Care of the Skin 

The skin is the outer covering of the 
body. It serves as a protection to the 
body and as an organ of excretion. Many 
waste products which would act as poisons 
if retained in the body are carried away 
through the pores of the skin by means of 
perspiration. This perspiration is produced 



Personal Hygiene 7 

by sweat-producing glands. Closely related 
to these are the oil-producing glands. The 
constant presence of perspiration and oily 



-^ — epi-cl ermis 




jJkJSs — siue2j" dland 



material from the glands makes it impor- 
tant that the skin be kept clean so that 
the pores may not become clogged. 

Handkerchiefs. It is important that the 
child be supplied with clean handkerchiefs 



8 Children Well and Happy 

and be taught the proper use of them. 
A child should be told never to use a 
handkerchief belonging to anyone else. 
A handkerchief should be held before the 
nose or mouth when coughing or sneez- 
ing. One should never spit on the side- 
walk, in the house, or in any public place. 

Baths 

Cleansing bath. The most important 
bath is the cleansing bath of warm water 
and soap, which should be taken at night 
or after exercise. After taking this bath 
one should dash or rub cold water over 
the skin. The body should be quickly 
dried and given a brisk rubbing with a 
coarse towel to increase the circulation. 

Cold bath. A cool sponge bath, taken 
the first thing in the morning, has a stimu- 
lating effect on the body. It sends the 
blood to the skin and quickens the cir- 
culation. This bath should be followed 



Personal Hygiene 9 

by a brisk rubdown with a rough towel. 
A cold plunge bath should not be taken 
without the advice of a physician, as cold 
baths are not beneficial to everyone. 

Brushing the teeth. The greatest factor 
in preventing decay of the teeth is cleanli- 
ness. The teeth should be brushed the 




THE CORRECT KIND OF TOOTHBRUSH 

first thing in the morning and the last 
thing at night, and, when convenient, 
should be rinsed after eating. The lower 
teeth should be brushed with a half- rotary 
motion up, and the upper teeth should be 
brushed down. This will assist in remov- 
ing particles of food from the teeth and 
will prevent injury to the gums. Dental 
floss should be used between the teeth. 
Coarse food which requires much chewing 



io Children Well and Happy 

strengthens the teeth and is excellent for 

the digestion. 

It is well to use a simple mouth wash 

of one-half teaspoonful of soda or salt in 

a glass of tepid water. Have the dentist 

clean the teeth twice a year; do not wait 

until the teeth ache before going to the 

dentist. 

Food 

Food is that which supplies nourish- 
ment to our bodies. Although many ele- 
ments enter into the composition of what 
we eat, food is roughly divided into three 
classes : proteids, carbohydrates, and fats. 
Some foods contain all of these elements ; 
others contain only one or two of them. 

Proteids. The proteids build and repair 
the tissues of the body and include such 
substances as the lean of meat and fish, 
the white of egg, milk, and parts of vege- 
tables. Dried peas, dried beans, and nuts 
contain large percentages of proteid. 



Personal Hygiene n 

Carbohydrates (sugars and starches). Car- 
bohydrates form the essential parts of 
vegetables and furnish body heat and 
muscular power. Foods containing a large 
percentage of starch are bread, potatoes, 
rice, macaroni, tapioca, and cereals. Such 
foods as candy, maple sirup, honey, and 
molasses are almost entirely sugar; while 
carrots, parsnips, and beets contain a large 
percentage of sugar. 

Fats. Fats are the energy-producing 
part of our diet. They may be of either 
vegetable or animal origin — as cream, 
butter, yolks of eggs, nuts, meat, and 
fish fats. 

Mixed diet. A mixed diet consisting of 
all the food elements in proper proportion 
is necessary to supply material for the 
normal growth of the body. Everyone 
should eat vegetables freely not only be- 
cause they are good for the bowels (acting 
as a wholesome laxative) but also because 



12 Children Well and Happy 

many of them, especially the green vege- 
tables, contain important organic matter, 
such as iron. 

Bread and butter. Bread has often been 
called the staff of life. In other words, 
bread and butter alone form an almost 
perfectly balanced meal. Bread should 
never be eaten until it is at least twenty- 
four hours old. Stale bread cut thin and 
toasted in the oven until it is crisp is 
appetizing and wholesome. Instead of giv- 
ing large amounts of bread and butter to 
children three times a day, mothers should 
substitute in part vegetables and fruits. 

Coarse foods. Coarse foods are espe- 
cially valuable because they require thor- 
ough mastication, which is the real function 
of the teeth. This helps to keep the 
tongue and teeth clean. Another reason 
for giving coarse foods to children is that 
the circulation of blood in the gums and 
throat is improved by chewing. 



Personal Hygiene 13 

Milk. Milk contains all the essential 
elements of a well-balanced diet and is 
one of the most important foods. It 
should be taken slowly and with other 
food, such as graham crackers, and should 
constitute an important part of the diet 
of every child. Children up to fourteen 
years of age should take milk, or milk 
flavored with cocoa, in the place of tea 
and coffee. 

Water. While water is not classed as a 
food, it makes up three fifths of the total 
of the fluids of the body and aids in the 
elimination of the waste products of the 
body. All foods contain some water, while 
fruits and vegetables are largely composed 
of it. A glass of water should be taken 
before breakfast, in the middle of the 
morning, and in the afternoon, and two 
glasses in the evening. One glass may be 
taken with the meals if it is taken after 
the food in the mouth has been swallowed. 



14 Children Well and Happy 

Six or eight glasses of water should be 
taken during every twenty-four hours. 

Candy. Many people believe that candy 
is harmful. This is because children, and 
indeed adults, are apt to eat it at the 
wrong time and to eat too much of it at 
one time ; nevertheless it has high food 
value, and a little pure candy eaten once 
a day, after a meal, is healthful. 

Bowels. When there is any trouble with 
the stomach or bowels look for the cause 
in some mistake or indiscretion in the 
diet. The family physician should be 
consulted. 

Care of the bowels. The bowels should 
move at least once every day. A regular 
habit of bowel movement can and should 
be formed. The best time is in the morn- 
ing, after breakfast. Many of the head- 
aches, muddy, pimply complexions, and 
bad tempers are due to constipation. This 
condition may be relieved by exercise, by 



Persona/ Hygiene 15 

the eating of coarse food, vegetables, fruits, 
such as apples, prunes, and oranges, and 
by drinking plenty of water. 

Exercise. Exercise, as either work or 
play, is necessary because it stimulates 
the action of all the organs of the body. 
The blood circulates more freely during 
exercise, and more waste products are 
thrown off. One should not take violent 
exercise immediately after eating ; neither 
should one exercise when unduly fatigued. 
Work must be wisely alternated with play 
and rest, because efficiency ends when a 
person becomes overtired. 



CHAPTER II 

HOME SANITATION 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Demon- 
strate the ventilation of a room. 2. Demonstrate 
the dusting of a room. 

By home sanitation we mean keeping 
the house clean and giving the forces 
of nature, such as sunshine, fresh air, and 
pure water, their fullest opportunity to 
work for us. By letting the out of doors 
indoors we give nature a fairer chance 
at her great task of keeping us well and 
happy. 

The house is a protection for the family 
and should have healthful and cheerful 
surroundings. The housewife should un- 
derstand the principles of home sanita- 
tion and thereby secure for her family a 

healthy and happy life. 
16 



Home Sanitation 17 

Location of the house. The location of 
the house is often decided more by neces- 
sity or convenience than by the considera- 
tion of health. If possible, a tenement or 
house should be so situated as to secure 
good air, sunshine, good drainage, and 
good neighbors. A house with a southerly 
exposure or placed with its corners to the 
points of the compass has a distinct hy- 
gienic value and is always to be preferred, 
because it gets the sun in each room at 
some time during the day. 

Sunshine. Abundant sunshine and light 
in the home are of great importance, and 
help to make the home healthful and more 
cheerful. People living in rooms which 
have no sun become pale and gradually 
lose strength. 

Pure air. Sunshine and pure air are the 
most important essentials for healthy life 
in the home. Nothing will take the place 
of fresh air. Everyone should be taught 



1 8 Children Well and Happy 

to fill the lungs with it by slow, deep 
breathing. We breathe on an average 
eighteen times a minute, or 25,920 times 
every twenty-four hours. No matter how 
well rooms are ventilated, it is a good plan 
to open the windows wide a few times each 
day. This helps to rid the atmosphere of 
impurities. 

Oxygen. Oxygen is the element in the 
air that sustains life ; it is inhaled through 
the lungs, taken up by the blood, and car- 
ried to all parts of the body. 

Carbon dioxide. The air also contains 
carbon dioxide, which is a product of com- 
bustion in many forms, such as respiration 
and the decomposition of animal and vege- 
table matter. Although enormous quanti- 
ties of carbon dioxide are constantly being 
forced into the air, it is likewise being 
removed constantly — especially by grow- 
ing vegetation. Plants and trees, under 
the influence of sunlight, absorb much of 



Home Sanitation 19 

the carbon dioxide ; therefore plants, which 
many people like to have in their rooms, 
not only please the eye but have a prac- 
tical value. 

The condition of plants in the house is 
a good test of home sanitation. If the 
leaves drop off, probably the rooms are 
overheated and the air too dry. There is 
some truth in the saying, " Where plants 
will not grow, people ought not to live." 
The breathing of impure air causes a 
feeling of discomfort ; the habitual breath- 
ing of bad air causes headache and lessens 
the resistance of the body to disease. 

Impurities of air in homes. Many condi- 
tions may help cause bad air in our homes ; 
among these are mentioned overcrowding, 
oil stoves, gas stoves, and the kind of 
housekeeping which permits the accumu- 
lation of dust and waste. 

Good ventilation. By good ventilation 
we mean a sufficient supply of fresh air of 



20 Children Well and Happy 

suitable temperature and moisture, kept 
systematically in motion. Moving air 






- : - ' ' " ■ 



<.X.;.+ 





IDEAL VENTILATION 



serves a double purpose — that of bringing 
to us a fresh supply and of taking away 
the warm, moist, impure air by which we 



Home Sanitation 21 

are surrounded. The best and simplest 
way to ventilate a room is to have one or 
two windows open at both the top and the 
bottom. During storms or in the winter 
time, ventilation may be secured by cover- 
ing a wire screen with thin outing flan- 
nel. This allows the entrance of fresh air 
without drafts. 

Drafts. There is a superstition that 
colds are caused by drafts. As a matter 
of fact, moving air is a necessity, and 
drafts do not cause colds. Drafts, sudden 
chilling of the body, and dampness may 
be predisposing causes, but in themselves 
they will not produce a cold. Such con- 
ditions lower the general vitality of the 
body and favor the development of infec- 
tion when the specific cause is introduced. 

Temperature of air. The temperature of 
the air has a very important bearing on 
health. The harmful effect of extremes 
of temperature has caused the death of 



22 Children Well and Happy 

many babies. The temperature of heated 
rooms, during the day, should be between 
68° and 70 F. 

Humidity. By humidity we mean the 
moisture in the air. Many of the colds 
which occur in the winter are due to the 
dry air in homes and places of work. 
Extreme dryness irritates the mucous 
membranes of the nose and throat, and 
this irritation is favorable to the devel- 
opment of infection. Moisture may be 
added to the air in two simple ways : by 
keeping a dish of water on the radiator 
and by keeping plants in the rooms, for 
plants constantly throw off moisture. 

Water. The purity of the water that is 
used in the household, whether it comes 
from a public water supply or from a well 
in the country, is a question of great im- 
portance. Every housewife should know 
the source from which the water used in 
her household comes. 



Home Sanitation 23 

Water is considered pure from the stand- 
point of health when it is free from pol- 
lution, color, odor, poisonous salts, and 
turbidity. Clear, sparkling water is not 
necessarily pure however. The purity of 
water can be determined only by analysis. 

In most states the public water supply 
of cities and towns is inspected regularly 
and the water is examined, so that the 
people may be protected from clanger of 
infection. When the water used in a 
household is obtained from a well or pri- 
vate water supply, an analysis of it should 
be made. 

All wells should be carefully con- 
structed and covered, so that there may 
be no danger of pollution from surface 
drainage. Privy vaults should not be near 
the well or so located that there will be 
drainage from them to a well ; otherwise 
the germs of typhoid and other diseases 
may find their way to it through the 



24 Children Well and Happy 

ground and become a source of danger 
to the persons using the water. As an 
extra precaution all discharges from 
persons who have tuberculosis, cholera, 
dysentery, or typhoid fever should be 
effectively disinfected before they are 
emptied into a privy vault or into a 
flush closet. 

Purification of water. If the purity of 
the water is doubted, it should be boiled 
for five or ten minutes in a clean, covered 
kettle. This renders it safe. The flat 
taste which often results from the boiling 
may be remedied by shaking the water 
in a bottle or pouring it from one clean 
pitcher to another or by simply expos- 
ing it to the air overnight. Water should 
be kept cool, and should be protected 
from dust. 

Household filters. The domestic filter 
is of little value. It will remove visible 
particles of matter, but will have very 



Home Sanitation 25 

little effect upon bacteria. If such filters 
are used, they should be carefully and in- 
telligently cleaned several times a day. 

Care and arrangement of rooms. All the 
rooms in the house should be well venti- 
lated and kept scrupulously clean. The 
windows should be entirely screened in 
order that they may be opened at both 
top and bottom. The screens should be 
put on in the spring before the flies and 
mosquitoes appear and should not be re- 
moved until all danger from them is past. 
Screens should be brushed frequently. 

Dust and dusting. Dust is brought into 
the home on shoes and clothing, and is 
blown in from the outside. Dust must 
be kept under control by the use of a 
vacuum cleaner, a carpet sweeper, or a 
damp broom, and by good ventilation. 
Children should not be allowed to remain 
in rooms that are being swept, for dust 
causes an irritation of the eyes, nose, and 



26 Children Well and Happy 

throat and also is frequently a carrier of 
disease germs. The dusting of furniture 
should be done with a damp cloth. This 
will wipe off the dust and not stir it up 
into the air where it will be inhaled or 
will settle again. A feather duster should 
not be used. Dampened dusters may be 
prepared in the following way: spread 
the dusters out smoothly on a towel that 
has been wrung out of hot water, roll, and 
let them lie for half an hour before using. 

The cellar. The cellar should extend 
under the entire house. If there is no 
cellar, the space under the floor should 
be well ventilated. There should be win- 
dows on at least two sides of the cellar to 
give ventilation and light, and the win- 
dows should be well screened. The cellar 
requires constant care and should be kept 
not only dry but clean and free from rub- 
bish and substances that decay or absorb 
and hold moisture. 



Home Sanitation 27 

Care of food. Young people should 
learn to care for food in the home. Food 
should be fresh, clean, and wholesome. 
It should be protected from dust and 
handled only with clean hands. The de- 
velopment of bacteria may be prevented 
by keeping the food cold and clean. 
Fruits should be washed before being 
used. The outer covering of berries is 
easily bruised, and such fruits are fre- 
quently contaminated by dust and flies. 
Fruit should be full-grown but not over- 
ripe when eaten. Vegetables such as 
lettuce, celery, and radishes, that are 
eaten uncooked, should be thoroughly 
washed and rinsed in several waters. 

Care of garbage. Garbage consists chiefly 
of the refuse matter from the kitchen. It 
should be kept in a clean metal can with 
a tight-fitting cover, since it will attract 
flies, rats, and other vermin. It is impor- 
tant that the can be frequently emptied 



28 Children Well and Happy 

and cleaned. Be careful that broken glass, 
broken dishes, nails, tacks, or old papers are 
not mixed with the kitchen refuse. Have 
a separate can or barrel for- ashes and all 
glass and metal rubbish. The fair criterion 
of good housekeeping is the amount of 
garbage. A large amount of garbage means 
carelessness and waste in the kitchen. 

Dishcloth and dish towels. Beware of 
a greasy, damp, disease-carrying dishcloth 
that is hung in a warm, dark place. The 
dishcloth and dish towels should be kept 
clean by washing them with soap and hot 
water every day. They should be hung 
out in the sunshine in the open air. 

Clean hands. Clean hands mean more 
than personal cleanliness. They mean 
clean door knobs, furniture, and clothing. 
The hands should he washed frequently 
with warm water and soap, and always 
before handling food, after going to* the 
toilet, and before taking the baby. 



CHAPTER III 

THE NEWBORN BABY 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Demon- 
strate the washing of the baby's eyes. 2. Demon- 
strate giving the baby the oil bath. 3. Demonstrate 
giving the sponge bath. 4. Show how to make 
the baby's bed and how to place the baby in it. 

First care of baby. The hands should 
be carefully washed before handling the 
baby. When the baby comes his eyes 
must be washed with a two per cent solu- 
tion of boric acid. 1 The proper care of the 
eyes at this time may be the means of 
preserving the eyesight. A fresh piece 
of cotton should be used for each eye. 
Always wash the lids from the nose to- 
ward the outer corner of the eye ; then 
burn the cotton. The baby should then 

1 See Appendix B. p. 109. 
29 



3<d Children Well and Happy 

be placed upon his right side, with his 
head a little lower than his body. 

Oil bath. When the baby is born there 
is on his skin, particularly in the creases, 
a white cheeselike substance that can be 
removed only with oil. Therefore the 
baby's first bath should be of warm olive 
oil or vaseline, applied with a piece of soft 
cotton and allowed to remain for an hour 
or more and then very gently wiped off. 
A water bath should not be given until 
the second day. 

A sponge bath. A sponge bath should 
be given daily up to the sixth or ninth 
day, after which the warm tub bath should 
be substituted. Essentials for the bath are : 

i. A warm room (72 F.) 

2. A bath thermometer 

3. A large flannel bath apron 

4. Two basins of warm water 

5. Two soft washcloths 

6. Two large soft towels 



The Newborn Baby 31 

7. Olive-oil soap or pure castile soap 

8. Pure talcum powder 

9. Two per cent boric-acid solution 
10. Absorbent cotton 

The toilet articles should be kept on a 
white enamel tray, which is easy to clean. 
After everything is prepared for the bath 
the fresh clothing should be warmed. The 
mother puts on her apron and takes the 
baby in her lap ; she then undresses him 
and wraps him in the bath apron. The 
temperature of the bath should be ioo° F. 
by the thermometer, and this should never 
be guessed at, because the water feels very 
much warmer to the sensitive skin of 
the baby than to the hand- of an adult. 
The head and face are first washed 
with the warm w r ater and carefully dried. 
The body is then bathed with the warm 
water and soap, rinsed with clear water, 
wrapped in soft towels, and dried by pat- 
ting. Great care must be taken to dry 



32 Children Well and Happy 

thoroughly all the folds and creases of the 
skin. A little lanolin or sweet oil should 
then be gently rubbed into the folds or a 
little talcum powder may be dusted on the 
neck, behind the ears, under the arms and 
knees, in the groin, and on the buttocks. 
Wipe away all superfluous powder, as it is 
apt to get wet and cake, and will then 
irritate the skin. 

For the tub bath see page 63. 

Dressing the baby. In dressing and 
undressing the baby the garment should 
be put on and off over the feet. This will 
prevent dust or other foreign particles on 
the clothing from entering the eyes, nose, 
or mouth of the baby. After the baby is 
dressed his nose, ears, and eyes should 
be cleaned by means of twisted cotton 
dipped in a two per cent solution of boric 
acid. A fresh piece of cotton should be 
used for each eye, ear, and nostril and 
should then be burned. 



The Newborn Baby 33 

Development 

Crying. It is necessary for a newborn 
baby to cry a little every day; this tends 
to expand his lungs. 

Sight. A newborn baby is not able to 
distinguish objects, but his eyes are very 
sensitive to light and must be carefully 
protected. 

Hearing. The hearing soon becomes 
acute ; therefore loud and sudden noises 
should be avoided, as they startle and ex- 
cite the baby. It is well to keep him in 
a room away from noise and confusion. 

Speech. When six or seven months old 
a baby begins to try to utter words and 
will usually be able to say a few words 
when nine or ten months old. The aver- 
age child, however, does not begin to form 
sentences of more than two or three words 
until he is about eighteen months or two 
years of age. 



34 Children Well and Happy 

Baby's bed. The newborn baby sleeps 
about nine tenths of the time. He should 
have a bed by himself. The first bed may 
be made in an ordinary clothes basket or 
in a light box. Table padding makes a 




THE BABY'S BED 



good mattress if folded to six thicknesses, 
because it is easily laundered and is inex- 
pensive. When washed it should be dried 
out of doors in the sunshine. If the mate- 
rial used in the crib mattress is excelsior, 
it should be made as smooth as possible, 
with a soft pad placed on top of it. Curled 



The Newborn Baby 35 

hair is more expensive, but is light, cool, 
and easily cleansed. The crib mattress 
should always be protected by a piece of 
rubber sheeting covered with a soft pad. 
The baby's bed should be raised at least 
twelve inches from the floor to escape drafts. 

Pillows. The baby's head should not be 
elevated, as he will take more air into his 
lungs when no pillow is used. If the 
mother wishes, she may place a folded soft 
cloth under the baby's head. 

Birth registration. See that the baby's 
birth is promptly and accurately registered. 
Later he may need his birth certificate to 
prove his 

1. Identity 

2. Legitimacy 

3. Right to inherit property 

4. Right to enter school 

5. Right to seek employment 

6. Right to vote 

7. Right to hold office 

8. Privilege to travel in other countries 



36 Children Well and Happy 



IRegistrs department 

CITY OF 

County of , State of 

City Hall 

The following is an abstract from the Record 
of Births in said City: 

No 



rsoN i 
\dau.j 



of 



was born in. 



1T betebE Certify that the above is a true copy 
from the Record of Births in the Custody of the 
City Registrar. 



CITY 
SEAL 



City Registrar 



MODEL BIRTH CERTIFICATE 



Protection against flies and mosquitoes. 

The baby must be protected from flies 
and mosquitoes because malaria and other 



The Newborn Baby 37 

diseases may be transmitted in this way. 
Flies are carriers of filth and disease 
germs and therefore should never be 
allowed to touch the baby's lips or the 
baby's bottle. 

It is important that netting be placed 
over the baby's bed and be large enough 
to tuck in under the mattress. It should 
not hang down over the sides of the bed. 



CHAPTER IV 

BREAST FEEDING 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Demon- 
strate how to hold the baby when feeding him. 
2. Demonstrate how to weigh the baby. 

Every mother should nurse her baby 
if she is well and has the milk; it is 
her most important duty for the time 
being, and all other things should be 
secondary to it. 

The reasons. Breast milk is nature's 
food for the baby. It is fresh, sterile, 
and always at hand. It is the least ex- 
pensive food that can be given, and con- 
tains the proper elements of food in the 
right proportions. 

Breast-fed babies seldom have bowel 
troubles — which are apt to be so fatal 

in bottle-fed babies, especially in hot 

38 



Breast Feeding 



39 



weather. Ten bottle-fed babies die to one 
fed on the breast. 

Hours for nursing. At the end of the 
first twenty-four hours the baby is put 
to the breast. Because of the scant 
quantity of milk in the breasts, every 
four or six hours is often enough for the 
first two days. Until the mother's milk 
comes no food should be given to the 
baby except a little cool boiled water, 
not sweetened. If the milk is very 
scanty, the physician will probably order 
a few bottle feedings. For a normal baby 
the following feedings are recommended : 



From Birth 


From Three 


From Eight 


to Three 


to Eight 


Months to 


Months Old 


Months Old 


One Year Old 


6 A.M. 


6 A. M. 


6 A.M. 


9 A.M. 


9.30 A.M. 


IO A.M. 


12 noon 


I P.M. 


2 P.M. 


3 P-M. 


4.3O P.M. 


6 P. M. 


6 P.M. 


8 P.M. 


I O P. M. 


9 P.M. 


12 midnight 




i 2 midnight 







40 Children Well and Happy 

The mother should nurse her baby 
regularly and give nothing between feed-^ 
ings except unsweetened boiled water. 
If the baby is awakened at feeding 
times during the day, he will soon form 
the habit of nursing regularly. 

How to hold the baby. While the baby 
is nursing do not hold him too closely 
to the breast, as he must have plenty of 
air to breathe. If the baby is nursing 
from the right breast, he should be held 
on the right arm, and the mother's left 
hand should press the breast away from 
the baby's nose. 

Length of nursing time. The baby 
should not nurse more than ten minutes 
at first nor more than twenty minutes at 
any time. He should not be allowed to 
fall asleep while nursing nor be permitted 
to take his meal too rapidly, as this latter 
may cause him to hiccup. If a baby 
nurses too rapidly, withdraw the nipple 



Breast Feeding 41 

from his mouth for a few seconds. This 
may be done every three or four minutes. 

Baby's stomach. The infant generally 
takes more fluid at each feeding than the 
stomach can hold at one time. Almost 
as soon as the milk is swallowed it be- 
gins to pass into the intestines. Breast 
milk is digested and passed on more 
rapidly than cow's milk. 

Mixed feedings. When the mother's 
milk is of good quality, but is not suffi- 
cient in quantity to satisfy the baby, it is 
necessary to give him additional food. 
This is done by giving alternate feed- 
ings of the breast milk and modified 
milk. Mixed feedings should always be 
given under the doctor's directions. Every 
bit of breast milk helps the baby, because 
it tends to make the digestion of artificial 
food easier. 

Advice to nursing mothers. Keep your- 
self well. As long as you are well the 



42 Children Well and Happy 

baby will keep well. Even though you 
have but little milk at first, do not get 
discouraged ; be patient and persevering. 
You should have lunches of milk and 
gruel — one in the middle of the morn- 
ing, one in the afternoon, and another at 
bedtime. Remember that an active, cheer- 
ful mind is an important factor in good 
health. Nothing upsets a baby more 
quickly than a nervous, irritable mother. 

Diet of a nursing woman. The meals 
should be simple and nutritious and should 
include a large amount of liquid. Milk, 
cereals, eggs, and soups should form the 
principal part of the diet. Some of the 
foods to be avoided by a nursing woman 
are cabbage, onions, garlic, and sour fruits. 

Weaning. The healthy baby should be 
weaned from the- breast between the 
ninth and the eleventh month. Every 
baby ought to be weaned entirely at the 
age of one year, but it is better not to 



Breast Feeding 43 

wean him during the summer. If a baby 
has been taught to take water from a 
spoon or cup, there will be no trouble 
at the weaning period in having him take 
his milk from a cup. Weaning should 
take place gradually. During the process 
the mother should take less liquids and 
usually some laxative to produce free 
movements of the bowels. 

Weigh the baby. The baby should be 
weighed once a week. Scales similar to 
grocers' scales, with a basket attached, 
may be used, as they are more accurate 
than spring scales. 

Directions for weighing. Have the scales 
in a warm place, protected from drafts. 
Undress the baby, wrap him in a small 
blanket, and place him in the basket 
on the scales. Write down the total 
weight; then lift the baby out, weigh the 
basket and blanket together, and subtract 
this amount from the first weight. The 



44 Children Well and Happy 

average healthy baby weighs from seven 
to seven and one-half pounds at birth, 
and his average length is twenty inches. 




WEIGHING THE BABY 



A healthy baby usually doubles his weight 
at the end of the fifth month, and by the 
end of the first year weighs three times 
as much as at birth. For instance, if 
he weighs seven pounds at birth, he 



Breast Feeding 45 

should weigh fourteen pounds at the end 
of the fifth month and twenty-one pounds 
at the end of the first year. 

If the length is twenty inches at birth, 
the baby should grow about four inches 
during the first five months and eight 
inches during the first year. The follow- 
ing table shows the actual gain in weight 
of a healthy baby that was breast fed : 

7| pounds 
ni pounds 
16 pounds 
18 pounds 

20 pounds 

2 1 pounds 



Weight at birth .... 
Weight at age of two months 
Weight at age of four months 
Weight at age of six months 
Weight at age of eight months 
Weight at end of first year . 



A child may be in good health and yet 
not conform to these averages. This need 
cause no uneasiness, providing the child 
is well and gains in weight. 



CHAPTER V 

BOTTLE FEEDING 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Show and 
demonstrate the care of utensils to be used in 
modifying milk. 2. Demonstrate the process of 
modifying milk. 3. Demonstrate the process of 
pasteurizing milk. 

Foods. Condensed milk and proprie- 
tary foods should be used only in emer- 
gency or on the advice of a physician. 
They are of value only in the rare in- 
stances when a baby cannot digest cow's 
milk or when prescribed by a physician. 

Cow's milk. If a baby cannot have 

breast milk, the next best food is properly 

modified cow's milk. Cow's milk, when 

used for the baby, must be fresh. It 

should be delivered in sealed bottles. 

Milk sold from open cans should never 
4 6 



Bottle Feeding 



M 



be given to a child. Milk should not be 
left standing on the doorstep nor in a 
warm kitchen, but should be placed in the 
ice box as soon as received, where it 
should be kept covered and at a tempera- 
ture between 35 and 45 ° F. 

Choice of milk. Whenever possible, cer- 
tified milk should be used. Certified milk 
is milk produced under conditions that 
conform to certain standards of cleanli- 
ness laid down by the state. Uncertified 
milk may of course often be used without 
danger, but if there is any question about 
its purity, it should be pasteurized (see 
page 52 for directions for pasteurizing). 

COMPARISON OF MOTHER'S MILK AND 
COW'S MILK 





Mother's Milk 


Cow's Milk 


Fat .... 


3.50 per cent 


4.00 per cent 


Sugar . . . 


7.00 per cent 


4.50 per cent 


Protein 


1.25 per cent 


3.50 per cent 


Salts .... 


.20 per cent 


.70 per cent 



48 Children Well and Happy 

No matter how cow's milk is modified, 
it differs from human milk in certain 
other ways that we do not understand, 
and this renders it less desirable for infant 
feeding than human milk. 

Modified milk. The formula for the 
baby's food must be given by a nurse or 
a physician. The following general direc- 
tions for feeding a baby that does not re- 
quire a special formula have been prepared 
by a committee of the American Medical 
Association : 

Beginning on the third day the average baby 
should be given three ounces of milk daily, di- 
luted with seven ounces of water. To this 
should be added one tablespoon of limewater 
and two level teaspoons of sugar. This should 
be given in seven feedings. 

At one week the average child requires five 
ounces of milk daily, which should be diluted 
with ten ounces of water. To this should be 
added one and one-half even teaspoons of sugar 
and one ounce of limewater. This should be 



Bottle Feeding 



49 




MODIFICATION OF THE MILK 

given in seven feedings. The milk should be 
increased by one-half ounce about every four 
days. The water should be increased by one- 
half ounce every eight days. 



50 Children Well and Happy 

At three months the average child requires 
sixteen ounces of milk daily, which should be 
diluted with sixteen ounces of water. To this 
should be added three tablespoons of sugar and 
two ounces of limewater. This should be given 
in six feedings. The milk should be increased 
by one-half ounce every six days. The water 
should be reduced by one-half ounce about 
every two weeks. 

At six months the average child requires 
twenty-four ounces of milk daily, which should 
be diluted with twelve ounces of water. To this 
should be added two ounces of limewater and 
three even tablespoons of sugar. This should 
be given in five feedings. The amount of milk 
should be increased by one-half ounce every week. 
The milk should be increased only if the child 
is hungry and digesting his food well. It should 
not be increased unless he is hungry, nor if he 
is suffering from indigestion, even though he 
seems hungry. 

At nine months the - average child requires 
thirty ounces of milk daily, which should be 
diluted with ten ounces of water. To this should 
be added two even tablespoons of sugar and two 



Bottle Feeding 51 

ounces of limewater. This should be given in 
five feedings. The sugar added may be milk 
sugar or, if this cannot be obtained, cane (granu- 
lated) sugar or maltose (malt sugar). At first 
plain water should be used to dilute the milk. 

At three months, sometimes earlier, a weak 
barley water may be used in the place of plain 
water ; it is made of one-half level tablespoon of 
barley flour to sixteen ounces of water and cooked 
for twenty minutes. (See Appendix B.) 

Fill the feeding bottles, cork them, and put 
on the ice. If the milk is not certified, it should 
be pasteurized. 

Utensils. The utensils used for pre- 
paring the baby's food should be reserved 
exclusively for that purpose. The best 
material for these utensils is enamel or 
agateware. 

LIST OF UTENSILS 

i. A big covered kettle or dish pan. This 
should measure at least eighteen inches in diam- 
eter, so that all other utensils may be boiled in 
it at one time. 



52 Children Well and Happy 

2. Bottles. There should be as many bottles 
as there are feedings in one day. 4 

3. Nipples. It is important to select those 
that can be turned wrong side out to be cleaned. 

4. A bottle brush. 

5. A nipple brush. 

6. A sixteen-ounce graduated measuring glass. 

7. A tablespoon, teaspoon, and cream dipper. 

8. A teapot of enamel or agateware in which 
sterile water is kept for use as needed. 

9. A wire rack for holding bottles. 

10. A roll of nonabsorbent cotton for the 
stoppers for the feeding bottles. 

Pasteurizing. This process consists of 
heating the milk to 145 F. and keeping 
it at this temperature for thirty minutes. 
The following method may be used : Fill 
the bottles with the modified milk and 
place in the wire rack. Put the rack in 
a dish of water, with the water just above 
the level of the milk. Suspend a milk 
thermometer in the water and heat until 
the thermometer registers 145 F. Keep 



Bottle Feeding 53 

at this temperature for thirty minutes, 
then take out the rack and cork the 
bottles at once. Place carefully in a dish 
of cool water or put an inverted basin over 



PASTEURIZING THE BABY'S MILK 

the rack containing the bottles and set 
under the cold-water faucet. Cool quickly 
and place on the ice at once. 

If no pasteurizing outfit is at hand, the 
bottles of milk may be heated in a double 
boiler until the steam arises. Continue 



54 Children Well and Happy 

heating at this temperature for fifteen 
minutes. If the pasteurized milk is used 
for a long time, it is well to give the baby 
orange juice to prevent rickets and scurvy. 
This should be given in the morning, reg- 
ularly, three quarters of an hour before 
feeding time. One teaspoonful should be 
given at first, and the amount gradually 
increased up to one tablespoonful. 



CHAPTER VI 

CARE OF THE BABY'S FOOD 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Show a 
homemade refrigerator. 2. Demonstrate the care 
of bottles. 3. Demonstrate the care of rubber 
nipples. 4. Demonstrate the process of steri- 
lizing water. 

Homemade refrigerator. An ice box to 
keep the baby's milk in good condition 
may be made in the following way at 
very little cost: In a wooden box about 
eighteen inches square and of about the 
same depth, put a layer of sawdust three 
inches deep. Then put a ten-quart pail 
(or a larger one) in the center of the box. 
Add more sawdust and put a cardboard 
collar around the pail, to keep the saw- 
dust in place. It is also well to put a 
layer of cheesecloth over the sawdust. 

55 



56 Children Well and Happy 

Inside this pail place another (smaller) one, 
to hold the ice. The bottles are put in 
the larger pail, which should be securely 
covered, and a bag of sawdust is placed 
over it. The box should be tightly closed 
by a wooden cover lined with several 



PM)DED 
COVER 
J >\ TO 
S \ T30X 



PAIL COYER 

HOMEMADE REFRIGERATOR 




thicknesses of newspaper. The inner pail 
should be taken out and cleaned every 
morning. 

The box described above will keep 
cold for twenty-four -hours with five cents' 
worth of ice in it. The cover should not 
be left off any longer than is necessary 
to remove the bottles. 



Care of the Baby s Food 57 




FILLING THE BABY'S BOTTLES 



Care of bottles. New bottles should be 
placed in a kettle of cold water, put on 
the stove, and boiled for twenty minutes. 



58 Children Well and Happy 

They should then be removed from the 
stove, but left in the kettle until the water 
cools. Bottles treated in this way will not 
break easily. 

As soon as the baby has finished feed- 
ing, the bottles should be rinsed with cold 
water, cleaned with a bottle brush in clear 
hot water, then filled with fresh water 
and set aside. In the morning, before the 
day's food is prepared, all bottles should 
be scrubbed with hot water and Ivory 
soap; they should then be rinsed thor- 
oughly in several waters, boiled in a solu- 
tion consisting of two teaspoonfuls of soda 
to one quart of water, and rinsed in clear 
boiled water. 

Care of bottle nipples. New nipples 
should always be scrubbed and boiled for 
three minutes before being used. It is 
better to buy nipples that can be turned 
inside out. There should always be at 
least two nipples clean and ready for use. 



Care of the Baby s Food 59 

Immediately after the feeding the nipple 
should be removed from the bottle, washed 
in cold water, scrubbed inside and outside, 
rinsed well, and placed in a jar of sterile 
water or a two per cent solution of boric 
acid. Nipples should be boiled daily for 
about three minutes. 

When it is time to feed the baby the 
bottle should be taken from the ice box 
and placed (still corked) in a dish of water 
deep enough to come above the milk line. 
The water is to be heated until the milk is 
warmed. The water should not boil, as that 
renders the milk less easy to digest and is 
apt to make the baby constipated. A clean 
cloth should be placed in the bottom of the 
dish or kettle, to prevent the bottle from 
slipping and breaking. The temperature 
of the milk should be tested by dropping 
some of it on the inner surface of the 
arm. If it feels warm to the skin, it is 
the correct temperature for the baby. 



60 Children Well and Happy 

The mother should never put the nipple 
into her own mouth to test the temper- 
ature. The nipple should be handled only 




<>\ 



l^>^ 



TESTING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MILK 



by the neck ; the part that goes into the 
baby's mouth should 'never be touched. 

Holding the baby while feeding. The 
baby should be held by the mother or 
nurse in the same position as for breast 
feeding. The bottle should be held so 



Care of the Baby's Food 61 




CORRECT WAY TO HOLD THE BABY WHILE FEEDING 

that the neck is continually filled, in order 
that the baby may not suck in air. The 
feeding should be finished in twenty 
minutes. If the baby nurses too rapidly, 



62 Children Well and Happy 

withdraw the nipple for a moment several 
times during the feeding. If the baby 
falls asleep, the bottle should be removed, 
and no more milk should be given until 
the next feeding time ; he should not 
be permitted to nurse a little and then 
sleep a little, and thus unduly prolong 
the feeding. 

Sterile water to drink. The water which 
is given the baby to drink should first be 
boiled and then put where it will cool. 
Before it is given it should be slightly 
warmed. 



CHAPTER VII 

CARE OF THE BABY'S BODY 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Demon- 
strate the preparation of a two per cent solution of 
boric acid. 2. Demonstrate giving the baby a tub 
bath. 3. Demonstrate giving the baby a bran bath. 
4. Demonstrate protecting the baby from drafts. 

Preparation for the bath. A tub bath 
may be given to the baby as early as the 
sixth or ninth day. The morning bath 
should be given three quarters of an 
hour before the nine o'clock feeding. The 
mother should wash her hands carefully 
before handling the baby. The temper- 
ature of the room in which the bath is 
given should not be below 7 2° F. If the 
room is too hot — so hot that the baby 
perspires — there is grave danger of his 

being chilled when the bath is over. 
63 



64 Children Well and Happy 

The tub should never be put on the 
floor, but always on a chair or low table. 




BATHING THE BABY 



This makes it easier for the mother to 
give the bath and also helps protect the 
baby from dust and drafts. Screens should 
be used to secure complete protection 



Care of the Baby s Body 65 

from drafts. For the first four weeks the 
temperature of the water should be be- 
tween 98 and ioo° F. As the baby grows 
older the temperature should be gradually 
lowered. Suitable temperatures are 

ioo° F. at birth 
98 F. at one month 
95 F. at three months 
90 F. at six months 
85 F. at twelve months 

If the baby is bluish and does not react 
well, it means that the water was not the 
right temperature or that he was in the 
water too long. Always use a bath ther- 
mometer ; never guess at the temperature. 

After everything is prepared for the 
bath and the clean clothing warmed, un- 
dress the baby. He should be weighed 
once a week, at this time. 

The bath. He should then be wrapped in 
a warm blanket and held in the lap while his 
eyes, ears, nose, face, and head are washed. 



66 Children Well and Happy 

The nose and the ears. The inside of the 
baby's nose should be carefully cleaned 
every day with a soft, wet twist of absorb- 
ent cotton. The external ears should be 
washed daily. No attempt should be made 
to clean the inside of the ears except with 
a piece of cotton wound around the end 
of the little finger. 

The eyes. The eyes should be cleaned 
each morning, at first with a two per cent 
solution of boric acid, and after two months 
with warm sterile water. A separate piece 
of cotton should be used for each eye. 
The lids should be washed from the nose 
toward the outer corner of the eye. If the 
eyes show a mattery secretion and the 
lids are swollen, a physician should be 
consulted at once. Infection of the eyes 
has often resulted in blindness. 

The mouth. The baby's mouth should 
be cleaned once a day by the use of a 
swab, made by twisting a bit of absorbent 



Care of the Baby s Body 67 

cotton on a wooden toothpick, wet in 
a two per cent solution of boric acid. 
After each feeding a teaspoonful of warm, 
sterile water may be given to wash the 
milk down. The old method of cleansing 
the mouth with a piece of gauze twisted 
over the finger frequently injured the 
delicate tissues. Except in emergency the 
finger should not be put inside the baby's 
mouth. 

The scalp. For the first few weeks 
the baby's scalp should be washed at the 
time of the bath. If yellow scales form, 
rub warm olive oil or vaseline into the 
scalp at night, and in the morning wash 
it with warm water and pure castile soap, 
rinsing thoroughly. If the scales do not 
come off, repeat the operation as many 
times as necessary. Do not use a comb 
to remove the scales, as this will irri- 
tate the scalp and render the condition 
worse. 



68 Children Well and Happy 

The nails. The baby's nails should be 
cleaned with a toothpick over which has 
been twisted a little absorbent cotton. 
The nails should be carefully cut with 
small scissors in order to prevent him 
from scratching himself. 

The body. It is best to wash the baby's 
entire body with warm water and soap 
before placing him in the tub. The bath 
in the tub is for rinsing off the soap and 
for exercise. He should be turned over so 
that his chest will rest on the mother's 
forearm while his feet touch the bottom 
of the tub. Teach the baby to like the 
bath, and he will not be frightened. He 
should not stay in the water more than 
two or three minutes, and when lifted out 
should be wrapped in a soft, warm bath 
towel. He should be dried quickly by 
gently patting the skin with soft towels, 
not by wiping. Take special care to dry 
all the folds and creases ; rub these with 



Care of the Baby's Body 69 

sweet oil or lanolin, or powder them care- 
fully. Powder, if used, should be lightly 
dusted on the neck, behind the ears, under 
the arms and knees, in the groin, and on 
the buttocks. Rub off all superfluous 
powder; if it gets wet and hardens, it 
will irritate the skin. 

Dressing. The baby should always be 
dressed while lying on his back or on a 
bed or pillow. Pin the flannel band at the 
side with small safety pins ; then put on 
the shirt and be careful that the draw 
string at the neck is not tied too tightly. 
Next put on the diaper snugly. The ger- 
trude is placed inside the slip and both 
are put on at the same time. These two 
garments should be drawn on over the 
baby's feet. If the weather is cool, the 
baby should be wrapped in a flannel 
blanket. 

Bran bath. If the baby's skin is sensi- 
tive or if he has heat rash, a bran bath 



70 Children Well and Happy 

will prove beneficial. Prepare this by put- 
ting bran into a cheesecloth bag six inches 
square, and soaking this in the bath until 
the water is milky. Do not use soap with 
the bran bath, nor with an ordinary bath 
when the baby's skin is sensitive. 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE BABY'S CLOTHING 

Suggestions for demonstrations, 1. Show sam- 
ples of clothing for a baby. 2. Demonstrate how 
to dress a baby in hot weather. 3. Demonstrate 
how to dress a baby in cold weather. 

Clothes. The clothing must always be 
roomy and loose and adapted to the 
season, climate, and temperature. 

FIRST SET OF CLOTHES 

Four flannel binders 

Four knitted bands 

Three shirts and three nightgowns 

Three flannel gertrudes 

Three dozen diapers 

Four long white dresses 

Flannel bands. These bands should be 

made of all-wool flannel, four inches wide 

and about twenty-eight inches long, that 
71 



72 Children Well and Happy 

-A 

is, long enough to reach twice around the 
baby's body. They should have no hems 
and should be fastened at the left side 




BABY CLOTHES 



with small safety pins. Bands must be 
adjusted with great care ; they should not 
be drawn too tightly, but should be made 
so snug that they will neither slip down 
and bind the baby's legs nor slip up and 
interfere with the expansion of the chest. 



The Baby s Clothing jt* 

Knitted bands. Knitted bands may be 
of wool and cotton or of silk and wool. 
Next to the smallest size is the most 
practical one to buy. It should fit snugly, 
should not wrinkle, and should not have 
rough seams. 

Shirts. Baby shirts come in several sizes 
and weights. It is well to begin with the 
second size, as the first size is so soon out- 
grown. They should be high-necked, long- 
sleeved, and should open all the way down 
the front. Silk and wool is the best mate- 
rial because it is light in weight and wears 
well. The lightest weight should be worn 
in summer, a little heavier weight in the 
spring and fall, and a still heavier in the 
winter. There is a tendency in winter 
time to use shirts that are too heavy. The 
result is that the baby perspires too freely. 
This makes his clothing damp and ren- 
ders him more liable to take cold. Babies 
living in overheated houses and wearing 



74 Children Well and Happy 

clothing that is too warm soon become 
sensitive to cold and drafts and are less 
able to resist sickness. 

Flannel gertrudes. The gertrudes should 
be made of all-wool flannel or of wool and 
cotton. They should open on the shoulders. 

Dresses. The dresses should be simply 
made of soft material. They should be 
laundered without starch. Both the shirt 
and the dress should be loose around 
the baby's neck and arms, since any tight- 
ness or roughness in the clothing may 
irritate the skin. 

Nightgowns. Nightgowns may be made 
of flannel, stockinet, cotton, or flannelette. 
The winter nightgowns should be long 
enough to allow the bottom to be closed 
by a draw string. This will make sure that 
the baby's feet are covered at all times 
even if he kicks off his bedclothes. 

Diapers. Diapers should be made of 
bird's-eye linen, cotton, or stockinet. For 



The Baby s Clothing 75 

a young baby they should measure about 
eighteen or twenty inches square and be 
folded but once. Never use a folded in- 
side diaper, as a wad of thick material 
between the legs is injurious. A small 
inside folded cloth five inches square may 
be used, or a quilted pad about ten inches 
square may be laid under the baby after 
the diaper is on. This pad will protect the 
skirts from urine. During the mother's 
waking hours the diaper should be changed 
as often as it is wet or soiled. In the night 
it should be changed when the baby is taken 
up for feeding or if he is restless. 

All diapers should be washed each time 
after they become wet. The soap used in 
washing them should be carefully rinsed 
out, and they should be boiled thoroughly 
at least twice a week. A careless soaking 
and wringing through one or two waters 
is not an adequate cleansing. Care must 
be taken in selecting the soap to be used 



j 6 Children Well and Happy 

in washing the diapers, since some soaps 
will cause an irritation of the skin, even 
when the clothing has been well rinsed. 

Stockings. It is important to keep the 
baby's legs and feet warm. Stockings and 
diapers should meet. In cold weather the 
baby should wear stockings ; in summer he 
will not require any covering for his feet. 

Short clothes. The baby should be put 
into short clothes about the fifth month, 
for at that time he begins to show signs 
of wanting to use his legs and to kick. It 
is not wise, however, to make this change 
during very cold weather. 

Clothing in summer. The greatest care 
should be taken to see that the baby is 
not dressed too warmly in summer. Too 
heavy clothing whether in summer or in 
winter will make him perspire too freely 
and render him more liable to colds and 
bowel troubles. The mother should feel 
of his body occasionally; if she finds it 



The Baby s Clothing jj 

constantly moist, the clothing is too warm. 
In summer only the thinnest undershirts 
should be worn, and warmer outer gar- 
ments should be added as it grows cool 
toward night. Light-weight knitted or 
crocheted jackets are easily made. 

Clothing in winter. Clothing should 
always be adapted to the season. If the 
baby is not dressed warmly enough, he 
will have cold hands and feet, and his legs 
and arms will be bluish. A baby must 
have fresh air, but his body must be kept 
warm. This is most important ; unless 
this is done his vital force will be lessened 
and he will not gain as he should. When 
taken out he must be warmly dressed with 
a long woolen or wool-lined coat with a 
shoulder cape. In cold weather a silk cap 
with a lining of wool is best. Take care 
that the neck of the coat and the cap rib- 
bons are not too tight. Leggings will be 
necessary after the baby is in short clothes. 



CHAPTER IX 

HABITS AND TRAINING 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Demon- 
strate how to protect a baby from flies and mos- 
quitoes when sleeping. 2. Show how to support 
a baby over a chamber. 

Do not forget that during infancy life's 
habits are being formed and that this 
period is of greater educational impor- 
tance than any other of his life. 

The normal baby is well and happy. 
Babies who are properly fed and kept 
clean, who have plenty of sleep and fresh 
air and are trained in regular habits, are 
usually well and good-natured. On the 
other hand, if babies are fussy and rest- 
less most of the time, there is something 
wrong. Patiently search for the cause of 

the trouble and see that it is removed. 

78 



Habits and Training 79 

Sleep. A newborn baby sleeps about 
nine tenths of the time. He should not be 
disturbed except for necessary care. After 
he has been made comfortable and fed he 
should be laid in his crib and trained to 
go to sleep without rocking and without 
a pacifier of any kind. 

The daily amount of sleep required for 
different ages is approximately as follows : 

First month 18 to 20 hours 

Second to sixth month . 16 to 18 hours 

Sixth month 14 to 16 hours 

One to two years . . . 1 2 to 1 4 hours 

During the first year a nap in the mid- 
dle of the forenoon, and another in the 
afternoon, is desirable. The afternoon nap 
should not be so late as to interfere with 
the night's sleep. 

A healthy baby sleeps with his mouth 
closed. Mouth breathing is caused by 
some obstruction in the air passages, usu- 
ally enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Other 



80 Children Well and Happy 

signs of the presence of adenoids may 
be restlessness at night, snoring during 
sleep, or frequent attacks of head colds. 
When any one of these symptoms is 




Beck Tonsil 

From Which 

ADENOIDS 

CROW 



Swollen 
Tonsil 



NOSE AND THROAT PASSAGES 
Left, normal ; right, abnormal 

present the child should be placed under 
a physician's care at "once; otherwise its 
normal growth and health may be seri- 
ously retarded. 

The sleeping room should be dark, well 
ventilated, and quiet. The baby should 



Habits and Training 81 

always be protected from drafts, but the air 
should be fresh and cool. After being fed 
he should be placed on his side, and after 
the next feeding, laid on the opposite side. 

Sleeping out. After a baby is six weeks 
old he should take his naps out of doors 
when the weather permits. He should be 
protected from flies and mosquitoes and 
shielded from the sun, wind, and dust. 
Remove the shoes and loosen the clothing 
before placing him in his crib. If the 
weather is cool, his feet and body must 
be kept warm. 

Bowel movement. The baby's first stools 
are of tarlike consistency, with little or 
no odor. After a day or two the stools 
change to a light yellow in color, are soft 
in consistency, and have little or no odor. 
During the first week the bowels move 
two or three times a day. As the child 
grows older, one or two movements a 
day will be sufficient. 



82 Children Well and Happy 

The mother should begin to train the 
baby to use a chamber as early as the 
third month. He should be placed on a 
small chamber held between the mother's 
knees, his back being supported against 
her body. In order to form the habit of 
having the bowels move regularly this 
should be done at the same hour each day. 
If the bowels do not move, insert a soap 
or glycerine suppository into the rectum. 
This will help direct the baby's atten- 
tion to the reason for his being placed on 
the vessel, and the suppository starts the 
bowels moving. This habit is soon estab- 
lished. The child should be placed on the 
chamber after the early morning feeding 
and again in the afternoon. 

Bladder. Habits of regularity in empty- 
ing the bladder may be formed by placing 
the baby on the vessel every three or four 
hours during the day and the last thing 
at night. 



Habits and Training 83 

Thumb sucking. The habit of thumb or 
finger sucking begins in early infancy 
and may continue until the child is six 
or eight years old if it is not broken. If 
persisted in, it may cause marked de- 
formities of the jaws and teeth. When 
the thumb or finger is put into the mouth 
it should be gently but firmly removed. 
By this method the habit will be gradu- 
ally overcome. It may be necessary to 
pin the sleeves to the side of the dress, 
so that the arms cannot be raised. 

Pacifier. Never use a rubber nipple, 
sugar ball, or any other pacifier. 

Kissing. Under no circumstances should 
anyone kiss a baby on the mouth. Com- 
mon colds, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whoop- 
ing cough, measles, and many other diseases 
are transmitted in this way. Remember 
that disease may be present in the secre- 
tions of the mouth and nose and on 
the lips. 



84 Children Well and Happy 

Crying. A well baby never cries with- 
out cause. Normal crying is loud and 
forceful, and the mother will soon learn 
to distinguish it from the cry of pain, 
hunger, or discomfort. A baby has no 
other way of expressing his needs — there- 
fore his cry should be heeded. When he 
cries the mother should see that he is 
made comfortable, that his hands and feet 
are warm, that his diaper is not wet, and 
that no pins are pricking him. Often 
merely a change of position is sufficient 
to quiet him. Do not take him up at the 
first cry ; most babies like to be held and 
will often cry simply to be taken up. 

Cry due to colic. The cry of colic is 
sharp and spasmodic. The baby will 
draw his legs up, and the muscles of the 
abdomen will be hard and tense. 

Cry due to hunger. The normal cry of 
hunger is heard some time before the feed- 
ing is due, and is accompanied by the 



Habits and Training 85 

sucking of the thumb or the fingers. If the 
baby is not getting sufficient nourishment, 
the cry of hunger is a continuous fretful 
sound and is heard soon after a feeding. 

Cry due to temper. The cry of temper 
is loud and strong ; the baby usually kicks, 
and his body stiffens. This is easily rec- 
ognized, because when the baby gets what 
he wants he will stop at once. When 
a baby cries from temper let him cry it 
out. The struggle will not be long, be- 
cause he will soon learn that this crying 
is useless. 

Cry due to illness or fright. The cry of 
most forms of illness is low, moaning, and 
fretful. The cry of fright is sudden and 
loud. The child should be taken up, 
comforted, and put down again as soon 
as he is quieted. In all cases of persistent 
crying the doctor should be called if the 
mother does not succeed in her attempts 
at quieting. 



86 Children Well and Happy 

Exercise. The young baby gets his ex- 
ercise by crying (which expands his lungs), 
also by kicking and waving the arms. It 
is important that the clothing should not 
be so tight as to interfere with these 
natural movements. 




BABY EXERCISING 



When he is in short clothes, at regular 
times each day he should be placed on 
the floor, on a thick - blanket, and allowed 
to roll and creep about at will. 

Twice a day if possible, but always just 
before bedtime, the baby should be placed 
on a large bed in a warm room with all 



Habits and Training 8>y 

his clothing removed, and should be en- 
couraged to kick and play for ten or fif- 
teen minutes. He may be played with 
at this time, but must not be permitted 
to become excited. 



CHAPTER X 

THE BABY'S TEETH 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Demon- 
strate the preparation of a baby's mouth wash. 

2. Demonstrate the care of the baby's first teeth. 

3. Demonstrate the care of the toothbrush and 
explain the necessity for such care. 

The best way to secure sound, healthy 
teeth in a baby is for the mother during 
her girlhood to see that her own teeth are 
in good condition and to keep well and 
happy, because it is then that the founda- 
tions of health for life are established. 
The mother must take the best care of 
her teeth at all time^ and maintain her 
health in every possible way. A sickly 
mother usually means a sickly baby. 

The first teeth of the child are called 
the milk teeth and are twenty in number. 



The Baby's Teeth 89 

In a normal baby the first tooth usually 
appears about the sixth month. 

The teeth usually come as follows : 

Two lower central incisors . 6 to 9 months 

Four upper incisors . . . 8 to 12 months 

Two lower lateral incisors "1 

_ . . >. 12 to 18 months 

Four anterior molars J 

Four canines (the " eye " and 

"stomach" teeth) . . . 18 to 24 months 

Four posterior molars . . . 24 to 30 months 

Cleansing the teeth. As soon as the 
first tooth appears, it should be cleansed 
each day with a small piece of gauze or 
cotton saturated in a weak solution of 
bicarbonate of soda and water. A tea- 
spoonful of water after each feeding or 
after taking fruit juice will help to cleanse 
the mouth. 

Drooling. When the baby is about four 
months old the flow of saliva is increased. 
This is an indication that the salivary 
glands are developing, and not, as is com- 
monly thought, a sign that the teeth are 



go Children Well and Happy 

trying to push their way through the 
gums, although this may be the case. 




CHILD BRUSHING HIS TEETH 

Teething. Babies nourished by healthy 
breast milk cut their teeth earlier than 
those who are bottle fed. When the teeth 
begin to come the gums are apt to be 



The Baby s Teeth 91 

red and swollen. Special care should be 
taken at this time to keep the mouth 
clean. It is a mistake to dread the teeth- 
ing period and to feel that the baby is 
sure to be sick. Sickness at this time 
usually attributed to teething is more apt 
to be due to faulty feeding or to some 
other condition, and the family physician 
should be consulted at once. 

Diet. Good teeth in a baby depend 
largely on his diet. During the first few 
months of his life, in addition to milk he 
should be given fruit juice and meat juice 
(see Appendix B). As his teeth develop he 
should be given food that requires chew- 
ing ; this is necessary to keep the teeth 
and muscles of the jaw strong and healthy. 

Teeth and their care. By the time the 
child is two and a half years old the tem- 
porary teeth should be fully developed. 
These are replaced by the permanent 
teeth, which usually begin to appear about 



92 Children Well and Happy 

a. 

the sixth year. Their condition will largely 
depend upon the care given to the first 
teeth ; neglect of the temporary teeth is 
a frequent cause of decay in the perma- 
nent teeth. 

After the teeth come they should be 
cleansed with a soft brush in the morn- 
ing and after the evening meal. A good 
mouth wash consists of a two per cent 
boric acid solution or a weak solution of 
bicarbonate of soda and water (one-half 
teaspoonful to a glass of water). 

Care of the toothbrush. After being 
used the toothbrush should be cleansed 
with soap and warm water, thoroughly 
rinsed, and completely dried. Each day 
it is well to place the brush in the 
sunshine. 



CHAPTER XI 

EMERGENCIES 

Suggestions for demonstrations. 1. Describe 
the bath thermometer and illustrate its use with 
water at different temperatures. 2. Demonstrate 
the preparation of an enema and show the correct 
position of the body when taking one. 3. Show 
how to protect the baby from infection when the 
mother has a cold. 

Babies should be protected from exces- 
sive excitement. The brain grows as 
much during the first year as it does 
during the entire remainder of life. As 
the baby's nervous system is easily upset, 
he should be kept free from disturbing 
influences. 

Convulsions. Anything which upsets 
the baby's nervous system may interfere 
with the process of digestion. This, as 

93 



94 Children Well and Happy 

well as improper food, constipation, or 
some acute illness may be the cause 
of convulsions. When in a convulsion, 
the baby loses consciousness, the legs 
and arms stiffen, and the facial muscles 
begin to twitch. Send for a doctor at 
once. Meanwhile the baby should be 
placed in a tub of warm water. If a ther- 
mometer is not at hand, some adult 
should always test the temperature by 
placing her arm, up to the elbow, in the 
water. Great care should be taken that the 
water is not too hot, as many babies have 
been seriously burned in this way. The 
temperature of the water should be slowly 
raised to 108 F. by adding hot water. 
A cold compress should be placed on 
the child's head and frequently changed. 
When the convulsion ceases the child 
should be removed from the bath and 
wrapped in a warm blanket, and his face 
should be bathed with cold water. If 



Emergencies 



95 



necessary, he may be kept in the bath 
about twenty minutes. If a child has 
convulsions and a tub is not 
available, he should be wrapped 
in a large bath towel which has 
been dipped in water at a tem- 
perature of 104 F., wrapped 
in a soft blanket, and the face 
and hands should be bathed in 
cold water. 

Colic. Colic, or a pain in the 
bowels, is indicated by a sharp, 
spasmodic cry, a drawing up of 
the legs, and a contraction of 
the muscles of the face and 
abdomen. The sufferer should 
be given a little warm water to 
drink and should have a soft, 
hot flannel placed over the abdomen and 
around the feet, or he should be laid on 
his stomach across a hot-water bag which 
is protected by a cloth covering. 



BATH THER- 
MOMETER 



96 Children Well and Happy 

Constipation. It is important that the 
mother who is nursing a baby should have 
a free movement of the bowels each day; 
if her bowels are kept open and her diges- 
tion is good, the baby will not, as a rule, 
be constipated. A little water given to 
the baby between feedings will help to 
prevent constipation. Fruit juices, such as 
prune and orange juice, should also be 
given. The most effective way of over- 
coming or preventing constipation is to 
develop the habit of having the bowels 
move at the same time each day. The 
baby should not be allowed to go more 
than twenty-four hours without a move- 
ment. Except in emergency, however, do 
not give the baby an enema or suppository 
or any medicine unless ordered to do so 
by a physician. 

Enema. An enema of two to four 
ounces of warm water, to which has been 
added a little soapsuds and one or two 



Emergencies 97 

tablespoonfuls of warm olive oil, will usu- 
ally cause a movement of the bowels. 

Directions for giving an enema. Place 
the baby on his back with a folded towel 
under his buttocks. A soft rubber catheter 
is safer to use than the hard rubber nozzle 
provided for this purpose. Allow the water 
to run freely through the catheter before 
inserting, so as to prevent injecting cold 
water and air into the rectum. Lift the 
baby's feet with the left hand and with the 
right insert the oiled catheter gently into 
the rectum for two or three inches. 

Diarrhea. A well baby usually has one 
or two movements a day. Frequent move- 
ments, or diarrhea, may be the beginning 
of a severe illness, and a physician should 
be consulted at once. This condition occurs 
more frequently with bottle-fed babies. If 
it occurs in a breast-fed baby, it is usually 
because the mother has not been careful 
about her diet or because the baby has 



98 Children Well and Happy 

been given improper food. To relieve 
this condition, if a physician is not at 
hand, give one teaspoonful of castor oil 
and omit the feeding in order to let the 
baby's stomach rest. 

Prevention of chafing. The skin of the 
baby is sensitive and may be easily irri- 
tated. For this reason the baby's diaper 
should be removed as soon as soiled and 
the skin cleansed with warm water. The 
folds of the skin should be thoroughly 
dried and dusted with a little talcum 
powder, or olive oil may be applied, before 
the clean diaper is put on. 

Colds. Common colds are contagious 
and in infants often lead to serious illness. 
A mother with a cold, when nursing her 
baby, should tie a* handkerchief loosely 
over her nose and mouth in order to pro- 
tect the child from infection if she should 
cough or sneeze. Many children's diseases, 
such as whooping cough, measles, etc., 



Emergencies 



99 




PROTECTING THE BABY FROM HIS MOTHER'S COLD 



are transmitted through the secretions of 
the nose and mouth. Any member of 
the family who has a cold should keep 
away from the children, and particularly 
from the baby. 



ioo Children Well and Happy 

Vaccination. Before the discovery of vac- 
cine, smallpox was the most dreaded dis- 
ease in the world and more prevalent than 
measles is to-day. A hundred years ago it 
was considered a disease of the children ; 
to-day, by the simple and safe process of 
vaccination, it has been almost entirely 
eliminated, except in those localities where 
through prejudice or ignorance the chil- 
dren are not vaccinated. Therefore every 
baby should be vaccinated before he is six 
months old ; this should be repeated at 
about six years of age, and later if there 
is a smallpox epidemic. 

The best place for vaccination is on the 
left arm. If the leg be selected, as it is 
occasionally (especially with girls), the child 
should stay in bed during the reaction 
following vaccination. 

The aftercare of a vaccinated child is 
important. A dressing of clean, sterile 
gauze should be placed over the point of 



Emergencies 101 

vaccination and held in place with strips 
of adhesive plaster. The dressing should 
be changed only by the physician or under 
his orders. If it sticks to the scab, it 
should not be pulled off; the cloth should 
be cut away around it and a small piece 
left adhering to the arm and a fresh dress- 
ing placed over this. Do not apply vase- 
line or any kind of ointment to the point 
of inoculation. Nothing must touch it 
but clean boiled water and sterile dressing 
handled by clean hands. 

A vaccinated child should have a bath 
and a change of underwear daily, but it is 
important that the dressing over the vacci- 
nation should be kept clean and dry. The 
child should not be permitted to play in 
gardens, stables, or dusty streets until the 
arm has completely healed. 



APPENDIX A 

ORGANIZATION OF THE GIRLS' HEALTH 
LEAGUE CLASSES 

I. Preliminary Meeting 

The mothers and teachers should be invited 
and urged to attend the meeting for the organ- 
ization of a class. The success of this move- 
ment for the health of our girls and for the 
saving of our babies depends largely upon the 
interest and cooperation of the mothers and 
teachers. 

The organizer should preside, and the school 
physician should be asked to explain the object 
of the league. 

At this preliminary meeting membership cards 
should be distributed to those desiring to join 
the class. These are not to be signed until the 
girls have taken them home and secured the 
signatures of their parents or guardians. While 
everything possible should be done to make the 
club proposition attractive, no girl should be 
103 



io4 Children Well and Happy 

urged to join against her will. An unwilling 
member is not a good member. 

In order to secure careful personal supervision 
and free discussion, a class of not more than 
twelve is desirable, but as many as twenty-four 
may be directed by an experienced teacher. 

The form of membership card is given below : 



Girls' Ibealtb Xeague 

Under the Auspices of the 

Public Health Department of the 

MASSACHUSETTS STATE FEDERATION OF 
WOMEN'S CLUBS 

I desire to become a member of the Girls' Health League, 

and promise to do my part towards making others well 
and happy. 

Name 

Address 

Date 

Approval of Parent or Guardian 

Attendance at lectures 123456789 ion 12 

(Check each lecture attended) 



Appendix A 105 

II. First Meeting of the Class 

1. The membership cards should be collected. 

2. The members elect a president, a vice 
president, and a secretary. The organizer and 
instructor are to be honorary president and 
vice president, respectively. 

3. Membership cards are to be given to the 
secretary for filing. At each succeeding meeting 
these are to be checked to show attendance. 

4. A card like that reproduced below should 
be filled out and forwarded to the headquarters 
of the Girls' Health League. 



Girls' Iftealtb ^League 

Under the Auspices of the 

MASSACHUSETTS STATE FEDERATION OF 
WOMEN'S CLUBS 

State Class Number 

Town 

Class Rank 

Number of Members 

Organizer Instructor 

Address Address 

Date of Organization 



106 Children Well and Happy 

III. Order of Business for the Meeting 

i. Calling meeting to order by the president. 

2. Calling the roll by the secretary. 

3. Reporting the illness of any member. 

4. A short quiz on the last lesson. 

5. A twenty minutes' talk by the instructor, 
followed by a half hour devoted to practical 
demonstrations on the subject of the lesson. 

The following articles are suggested for use 
in the demonstrations : 

Large-sized washable doll 

A complete set of baby clothing 

A bathtub 

Scales 

A pad for the scales 

Clothes basket for baby's bed 

Mattress 

Sheets 

Stork sheeting 

Mattress protector 

Blankets 

Spread 

Two bath towels 

Two face towels 

Two wash cloths 

Toilet articles 

Utensils for preparing the baby's food 



Appendix A 107 

The object of the demonstrations is to make 
the work of the league of practical value to the 
girls. 

After attending three successive meetings of 
the class each member will be given a Girls' 
Health League button, which is reproduced in 




the accompanying cut. The presentation of but- 
tons signifies that the girls are members of the 
Girls' Health League. On receipt of the button 
each girl agrees to do some definite act each day 
to make others well and happy. 



108 Children Well and Happy 

IV. Finishing the Course 

At the completion of the course each girl will 
be given an oral examination and will be asked 
to write an essay on the care of a baby. The 
following subjects are suggested : 

i . What do you mean by personal hygiene ? 

2. What do you mean by home sanitation ? 

3. Give three reasons why a mother should nurse 
her baby. 

4. If a baby must be bottle fed, what is the best 
substitute for breast milk, and who should direct how 
the food be prepared ? 

5. If a baby is bottle fed, how would you care for 
its milk ? 

6. What can you do to help save the babies ? 



Certificate of (©ratjuatton 

#trte' $ealt!j league 

Wnbtr the SuBpirtB of ttjf 

fl^aftsactjuscttis &tate feneration of iHlomen's ciubjj 
Ct)is Certifies tftat 




satisfactorily complcteo ttje course of gtuor prescribeD by tbe 
fiBirlg" l^ealtt) league in 



^v 



&L* %ujL^ H 



I L..,.. 



fa*%%te.,Ufr 



Appendix A 109 

The class average, together with one of the 
essays, should be sent to the headquarters of 
the league. 

On receipt of the essays and the class records 
certificates will be presented to the graduates by 
the Public Health Department of the Massachu- 
setts State Federation of Women's Clubs. The 
form of certificate is given above. 



APPENDIX B 

RECIPES 

Limewater. To make limewater, add one tea- 
spoonful of unslaked lime to one quart of cool, 
boiled water. Pour into a bottle and shake thor- 
oughly. Let it stand twenty-four hours ; pour off 
the clear fluid at the top and strain. Keep in a 
cool place. 

Barley water. Mix two teaspoonfuls of barley 
flour with a little cold water, then add one quart 
of water and boil twenty minutes in a double 
boiler. Strain through a very fine sieve and add 
enough boiled water to make one quart. 

Rice water. Rice water is made in the same 
way as barley water, but only one teaspoonful of rice 
is used to one quart of water. 

Oatmeal water. Mix two even tablespoonfuls 
of oatmeal with a little cold water ; add one quart 
of water and boil for at least one hour in a 
double boiler. Strain through a fine sieve and 
add enough boiled water to make one quart 



Appendix B 1 1 1 

Beef juice. Select the third cut of the round 
lean beef, broil it slightly on both sides, cut in 
small pieces, and squeeze the juice from it with 
a potato ricer or a meat press. Add a pinch of 
salt, and before using warm it slightly by stand- 
ing the cup containing the juice in a dish of 
hot water. 

Whey. Warm one pint of fresh milk to about 
no° F. Add one teaspoonful of essence of pep- 
sin or a junket tablet and stir until it is well 
mixed. Pour into cups and let stand until it 
jellies. Then break up the curds with a fork 
and strain through a sieve. The liquid is called 
whey, and it is sometimes used when babies 
cannot digest cow's milk. 

Two per cent boric acid solution. Put one 
teaspoonful of boric acid powder in a pint of 
boiling water and keep in a clean bottle. 

Soap suppository. Take a piece of Ivory or 
castile soap and cut out a piece two inches long 
and about the size of a lead pencil. Narrow to 
a dull point at one end. 



INDEX 



Adenoids, 80 

Air, necessity for, 17; im- 
pure, 19; temperature of, 



Baby, care of the newborn, 
29-37 ; breast feeding, 38- 
45 ; bottle feeding, 46-54 ; 
caring for food of, 55-62 ; 
the bath, 63-70 ; clothing, 
71-77; training, 78-S7; 
teeth and their care, 88- 
92 ; sicknesses, 93-101 

Bacteria, preventing develop- 
ment of, 27 

Barley water, 51, no 

Bath thermometer, use of, 94 

Baths, for girls, 8 ; oil, 30 ; 
sponge, 30 ; tub, 63-70 ; 
bran, 69; for convulsions, 94 

Beds, 34 

Beef juice, 11 1 

Bicarbonate of soda solu- 
tion, 10 

Birth, registration of, 35 

Boric acid solution, 67 

Bottle feeding, 46-54; special 
foods, 46 ; cow's milk, 54 ; 
modified milk, 48 ; utensils 
necessary in, 51; pasteur- 
izing, 52 

Bottles, care of, 57 

Bowels, care of, 14, 81 



Breast feeding, reasons for, 
38 ; hours for, 39 ; position 
of baby for, 40; mixed feed- 
ings, 41 ; diet for mother, 
42 ; weaning, 42 

Candy as food, 14 

Carbohydrates, n 

Carrying schoolbooks, 5 

Cellars, care of, 26 

Certified milk, 47 

Chafing, avoidance of, 98 

Chamber, use of, 82 

Clothing, 71-77; bands, 71- 
73 ; shirts, 73 ; gertrudes, 
74 ; dresses, 74 ; night- 
gowns, 74 ; stockings, 76 ; 
short clothes, 76 ; for sum- 
mer, 76; for winter, 77 

Colds, 98 

Colic, crying due to, 84; treat- 
ment of, 95 

Condensed milk as food, 46 

Constipation, 96 

Contagion, avoiding, 99 

Convulsions, 93 

Correct posture, 3-6; when 
feeding baby, 60 ; during 
the bath, 68 

Crying, normal, 84 ; due to 
hunger, 84; due to temper, 
85; due to illness, 84-85 ; 
due to fright, 85 



13 



ii4 Children Well and Happy 



Dental floss, use of, 9 

Diapers, 74 

Diarrhea, 97 

Diet, for nursing mothers, 
42 ; for babies, 91 ; for 
children, 91 

Discharges from sick per- 
sons, 24 

Dishcloths and towels, 2S 

Drafts, 21 

Dresses, selection of, 74 

Dressing the baby, 69 

Drooling, 89 

Dust and dusting, 25 

Ears, care of, 66 

Emergencies, 93-101; con- 
vulsions, 93 ; colic, 95; con- 
stipation, 96; diarrhea, 97; 
colds, 98; vaccination, 100 

Enemas, 96-97 

Exercise, 15, 86 

Eyes, care of, 66 

Fats as food, 11 

Filters, 24 

Flies, protection from, 36 

Food, three classes of, 10 ; 
mixed diet, 11 ; milk, 13; 
candy, 14 ; care of, 27, 55- 
62 ; for nursing mothers, 41 

Fright, crying from, 85 

Garbage, care of, 27 
Gertrudes (petticoats), 74 



Girls' Health League classes, 
103-109 

Hands, care of, 28 

Health of nursing mothers, 

Hearing of babies, 33 
Hunger, crying from, 84 

Illness, crying due to, 85 
Indigestion, 84 

Kissing, 83 

Laxatives, use of, 96 
Limewater, 50, no 

Maltose, in modifying milk, 5 1 
Mattresses, choice and care 

of, 34 
Milk as food, 13 
Milk sugar, 51 
Modified milk, 48 
Mosquitoes, protection from, 

36 
Mouth, care of, 10, 66 

Nails, care of, 68 
Nightgowns, 74 
Nipples, care of, 58 
Nose, care of, 66, 80 
Nursing. See Bottle feeding 
and Breast feeding 

Oatmeal water, no 



IndiW 



1 1 



Oil-producing glands, 30 
Orange juice for babies, 91 

Pacifiers, 83 

Pasteurizing milk, 52 

Personal hygiene, 1-1 5; value 
of good health, 1 ; correct 
posture, 3; care of skin, 6; 
baths, 8; food, 10; exer- 
cise, 15 

Perspiration, avoiding undue, 
21 

Pillows, 35 

Plants in houses, 19 

Privy vaults, 23 

Proprietary baby foods, 51 

Protein, 1 1 

Reading position, 6 
Recipes, 1 10 

Refrigerators, homemade, 55 
Rice water, 1 10 
Rickets, avoiding, 94 

Sanitation, home, 16-2S 
Scales, use of, 44 
Scalp, care of, 67 
Screens, 25 

Scurvy, prevention of, 6j 
Shirts, selection of, 73 
Shoes, selection of, 4 
Sitting position, 4 
Skin, care of, 6 



Sleep, 79 

Speech of babies, 33 
Spitting, 8 
Standing position, 3 
Starch as food, 1 1 
Stockings, selection of, 76 
Sugar, as food, 1 1 ; in modi- 
fying milk, 49 
Sunshine, value of, 17 
Suppositories, 96, in 

Talcum powder, use of, 98 

Teeth, care of, 9, SS-92 

Teething, 89 

Temper, crying from, 85 

Temperature, in pasteurizing 
milk, 52 ; for bath, 63 ; of 
sleeping room, 79 ; of bath 
for convulsions, 93 

Thermometer, use of, 95 

Thumb sucking, 83 

Toothbrush, care of, 92 

Vaccination, 100 
Vegetables as food, 1 1 
Ventilation, 19 

Water, the body's need of, 
13; purity of, 22-24; use 
of, in modifying milk, 48 ; 
sterile, 62 

Weaning the baby, 42 

Weight of baby, 43 

Whev, 1 1 1 



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022 169 356 5 



